ALL THE RAREST CLAYS, Limited and COMMISSIONABLE by you, our dearest Friends!
Dearest Friends, our Cao Family and associate Artists, Senior Master Cao Lan Fang 曹兰芳 and Assoc Master Zhang Ke 张轲, Senior Consummate Master Yuan Hui 袁辉 and Consummate Master Li Yan Ru 李艳如) have been supporting our local Chinese patrons with these premium and rare clays for commissioning, and happily adding to their portfolio of patrons in the past few years to include some of our international patrons who have a deeper understanding of what goes on at Ground Zero here at YiXIng. Yuan Hui, Cao Lan Fang, Li Yan Ru and Zhang Ke are primed to serve all of you.
Monumentally, our Cao Family presents all that is held in the highest esteem, and commissionable BY ALL OF YOU!
Limited number per year as per follows:
1. 七彩段泥 Qi Cai (Seven-Colour) Duan Ni (Maximum of twelve pieces per year)
2. 白麻子 Bai Ma Zi (twelve pieces per year)
3. 葵黄段泥 Kui Huang (Sunflower) Duan Ni (eight pieces per year)
4. 石红泥 Shi Hong Ni (eight pieces per year)
5. 青段 Qing Duan (eight pieces per year)
6. 本山绿泥 Ben Shan Lü Ni (fifteen pieces per year)
7. 民国绿泥 Min Guo Lü Ni (ten pieces per year)
8. 四号井底槽青 4th Quarry Di Cao Qing twelve pieces per year)
* 乌泥 Wu Ni
* 豆青 Dou Qing
* 原矿大红袍 Yuan Kuang Da Hong Pao
1. 七彩段泥 Qi Cai (Seven-Colour) Duan Ni:
(Limited to twelve pieces per year)
This very coveted clay, is held in YiXing ONLY by TWO PARTIES:
1) our Cao Family and 2) Mr Li Hong Yuan.
Li Hong Yuan a highly respected figure in our YiXing fraternity. He authored one of the top books in YiXing. Everybody recognises him.
OUR CAO FAMILY SHARES A VERY TIGHT BOND WITH HIM.
This photo will be familiar to you who have watched the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIHDQejLgQw&t=1631s
(07:55 mark) where Mr Li Hong Yuan was giving a thorough guided tour at the YiXing ZiSha Ore and Clay Museum.
Li Hong Yuan is the chief advisor of the YiXing ZiSha Ore and Clay Museum, highly esteemed. Many friends who watched this video, might have thought that he works as a “tour guide” walking daily at the museum, but this is not his job scope. He is the chief advisor and consultant.
Our Cao Family, through our tight bond and relationship with him, is able to invite him, out to help with guiding our friends from overseas!
As we always say for our friends who have participated in our Hospitality Tours, tour participants are always privileged, just like VVIPs! Very blessed and pampered!
Back to Mr Li Hong Yuan:
For the purpose of giving our tour participants the best hospitality and guidance, Li Hong Yuan had earlier gone to buy a headset, and FOR HIS FIRST TIME, perform a guided tour!for visitors! Here, to have Father Figure Li Hong Yuan pampering our international friends, explaining every step of the way: we all feel so humbled and honoured to have his presence, time and efforts, going out of his way to accede to our Cao Family's ask and invitation to give our tour participants the VVIP service!
Mr Li Hong Yuan said he was more than happy to help us and to volunteer himself to speak and explain the ZiSha ores and clay to our tour group!
Extremely thankful to him, and our tour participants repaid his love and bought his book. Of course, all personally autographed by him!
At the end of our tour, another young lady commercial tour guide happened to just arrive at the museum, and she was bringing along a delegation of government officials. She saw Li Hong Yuan and asked him and even offered to pay Li Hong Yuan to speak for her tour group. Li Hong Yuan thanked her, but turned her down for her tour respectfully, and also said he is not to be paid.
Moral of the story:
Our friends and participants are treated better than government officials.
Our Cao Family has great connections and our friends and patrons are always babysitted by us, getting the most privileged treatment!
Qi Cai Duan is a very prized and rare clay in our YiXing fraternity, and held only by our Cao Family and Mr Li Hong Yuan.
Our aunt, Senior Master Cao Lan Fang, crafted with this stunning Qi Cai Duan, exhibiting the Shi Piao 石瓢, here on the Left, at our showcase at 103, Jie Fang Zhong Lu in YiXing:
Here in our studio,
The name, Qi Cai Duan, means Seven-Colour Duan Ni. MORE than just affectionately named, you can see here upon close inspection, that it TRULY LIVES UP TO ITS NAME! MULTI-COLOURED sandy particulates!
These multi-coloured particulates are naturally large and coarse, compared to other Duan Ni types! YET, notice that, the surface of this SHI PIAO is very smooth! TO achieve such a smooth surface, the Artist, in this case our aunt Senior Master Cao Lan Fang, needs to exert diligence and spend much more time performing the 上明针 Shang Ming Zhen (Refining) stage. The Shang Ming Zhen refining has to be repetitive, gradual and done VERY carefully (especially the curves and edges which are even more difficult), so that the coarse particulates are PRESSED IN --> such that these irregularly-contoured particles and the pasty ZiSha in between, are ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY FLUSHED!
This is also a difficult rare clay to work with, with its very little pasty material + large particulates. Crumbly during crafting, and requiring gruelling Shang Ming Zhen. AN ENORMOUS feat, each completed and successful work!
Our Artists: Senior Consummate Master Yuan Hui, Senior Master Cao Lan Fang, Consummate Master Li Yan Ru and Assoc Master Zhang Ke, stand ready to craft with Qi Cai Duan for you!
(Twelve pieces maximum per year)
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2. Bai Ma Zi 白麻子:
(Limited to twelve pieces per year)
We at the Cao Family is very proud of this clay as:
1) we are ONE of only several families in YiXing to have it,
2) out of these families, we are one of only three families who know how to fire it.
Furthermore, beyond being a clay stockist (our Great Grandfather started our family business of mining for ZiSha ores since the 1920s, and to this that we have 22 warehouses of ZiSha ores), we are a family of reputable Artists to CRAFT with the clay, not just own the clay.
As for point number 1, a quick search on the internet using these five words "白麻子紫砂" (bai ma zi zi sha) will allow you to see the wild landscape out there spewn of fakes and pretenders out there.
We may give you some time at this juncture to google it and look at all the untrue Bai Ma Zi marketed and sold on the landscape.
After the above exercise,
We can point you now to the TRUE BAI MA ZI CLAY:
The Ju Niu Ju Lun Zhu 菊钮巨轮珠 is on the right, crafted with the Bai Ma Zi clay.
BAI MA ZI WITH ITS CELEBRATED, UNIQUELY DISTINGUISHED AND DISTINCTIVE EFFECT:
The beguiling and amazing Cosmic Nebula-Constellation Effect!
Here is Mr Li Hong Yuan again, in his tour of the ZiSha Ore and Clay Museum, approaching and coming to the special and dedicated Bai Ma Zi section,
Bai Ma Zi must be fired at 1370degC. And it has to be within a specially coated and highly resilient kiln, and with special techniques/steps, and yes, our Cao Family knows the proprietary way to do it, which you can now own.
The unique techniques and steps, COMBINE, to give THE ONE-OF-A-KIND colour montage and constellation of stars ~ clustered cosmic clouds:
Bai Ma Zi is a VERY special clay,
1) it is scarce.
2) It is very difficult to fire,
If Bai Ma Zi is fired at "only" 1150 - 1250degC as for most ZiSha clays), the Bai Ma Zi would exhibit a orangey-beige effect, homogenous. This is a Cup crafted with Bai Ma Zi by my aunt, for testing, demonstration and illustration:
ONLY IF FIRED AT 1370degC, in a specially strengthened kiln, and with proprietary steps, would it result in the TRUE ARCHETYPAL and famous Bai Ma Zi effect! The famous colour montage and galactic constellation as we affectionately describe Bai Ma Zi, may veer towards the brighter or darker balance :-D of the Milky Way, but the characteristic nebula-constellation effect is always there.
HERE EXTENSIVELY LISTED FOR ALL OF YOU FRIENDS, is the full range of the darker to the fairer nebula-constellation effect for your choosing during commissioning our Artists:
During the commission, we will aim for the preferred hue ACCORDING TO YOUR PREFERENCE (whether darker or lighter)!
It is very difficult, to get at the colour montage, because the temperatures within the kiln can vary, even with the best intent, by just one or two degrees, and that is enough to cause a different balance of colour montage. Rest assured as Zhang Ke's dad, who is not just a walking encyclopaedia and a deep historian of YiXing Art, he is also a specialist in ZiSha clay and its firing. Mr Zhang Yun Long (his name) says to you friends that he will personally take care of the firing of the ZiSha work completed by whichever Artist you chose to commission: his wife Cao Lan Fang, his son Zhang Ke, Master Li Yan Ru or Yuan Hui. He will aim to achieve the colour balance as you prefer. Some prefer the darker balance, and some prefer the fairer balance.
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3. 葵黄段泥 Kui Huang (Sunflower) Duan Ni:
(Limited to eight pieces per year)
This is a very special clay. In YiXing, the SOLE recognised source of Kui Huang Duan is Mr Gao, as seen in the attached photo.
He is the only source of the true archetypal Kui Huang Duan, not even Huang Long Yuan company has it.
Brother Yi-Lei is seen here next to Mr Gao.
Kui Huang Duan Ni is extremely rare and premium. Back in 2001, during excavation, our national geologists examined and discovered a vein of clay, of ONLY about 3m by 2m, and only 20cm thick during excavation:
This clay has a VERY ESPECIAL colour and texture, orangey, granular yet naturally smooth and moist in feel.
This entire 3m by 2m by 20cm vein was wholly procured and kept by Mr Gao. He is not an Artist nor Craftsman but an avid ZiSha Art aficionado and collector.
Mr Gao does NOT sell this archetypal Kui Huang Duan Ni clay. He purely has this due to his love of ZiSha.
No Kui Huang Duan was discovered later, anything that comes FAINTLY CLOSE are considered pretenders, never fulfilling the same special colour, texture and smoothness.
Kui Huang Duan is very special and Mr Gao had entrusted only some to Zhang Ke. Why Zhang Ke?
The reason being: two years ago, Zhang Ke has been very helpful to Mr Gao’s mother, helping her to sell off her second house which she does not need. This is Zhang Ke’s character, although more reticent than most, he goes around helping many people around in YiXing, friends and their families alike. One of the major reasons why our Cao Family has great connections, is due to Zhang Ke's constant unconditional help rendered to whoever he meets.
Mr Gao was naturally very grateful to Zhang Ke, and hence GIFTED two bricks to him. Assoc Master Zhang Ke and our Cao Family is thus very fortunate to have these two bricks. This coveted Kui Huang Duan cannot be bought. A prized clay gotten, through our connections and courtesy of the Mr Gao’s trust in the reputation of our Cao Family.
And guess who is the first guest to commission Zhang Ke for this precious clay? Famous painter 曹天文 Cao Tian Wen!
Painter Cao Tian Wen commissioned Zhang Ke to craft three He Huan 合欢 works, onto which he paints on it his signature bamboos, and have them engraved.
Here are the photos of the completed He Huan 合欢 pieces, raw and pre-fired, awaiting Cao Tian Wen to come over from Shandong and Beijing to paint:
This specific He Huan model that Zhang Ke crafted, is the 曼生款~合欢 : "Man Sheng's iteration ~ He Huan”. Here is another photo of it, raw pre-fired, on Zhang Ke’s workbench, on the turntable. Awaiting Cao Tian Wen's coming to paint his famous and signature bamboos and his calligraphy:
Here is another He Huan 合欢 that Zhang Ke had crafted and fired recently, for another customer Prof Yan from Long Beach, CA. He saw Zhang Ke crafting the He Huan for Cao Tian Wen, and asked Zhang Ke to craft one more for him. It is already now in Prof Yan's hands in CA. We took the photos prior to shipping to him:
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4. Shi Hong Ni 石红泥:
(Limited to eight pieces per year)
THIS IS ALMOST AS SCARCE AS THE LEGENDARY YUAN KUANG DA HONG PAO.
Because SHI HONG NI is found only, in very scarce quantities in a thin vein, sandwiched between two veins of Zhu Sha 朱砂 (the highest granular form of Zhu Ni), and only connoisseurs will hunt it down with our Cao Family.
Shi Hong Ni is a connoisseur rare clay, and shares the same especial quality as Yuan Kuang Da Hong Pao:
BOTH their ores, natural state, pre-fired, are RED.
This is unlike all the other Hong Ni types where the ores are yellow pre-fired.
(Shi Hong Ni 石红泥 and Shi Hong 石红 are two completely different ores/clays. Do not confuse the two together.)
We all know how scarce Yuan Kuang Da Hong Pao is (link:
https://www.realzisha.com/collections/the-prized-zisha-clays-in-the-zisha-fraternity-yuan-kuang-da-hong-pao-%E5%8E%9F%E7%9F%BF%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%A2%E8%A2%8D
Shi Hong Ni has also just been commissioned by a few of our patrons in China, as our Cao Family has in our possession this highly precious ore.
Here is Shi Hong Ni, crafted into a 扁晨 Bian Chen model, for Mr K. Haninger from Washington, DC:
We quickly refresh our colour memory and understanding of all the Hong Ni types:
Hong Ni 红泥 is drawn into two umbrellas:
1) ZiSha Hong Ni紫砂红泥 and,
2) Zhu Ni朱泥。
Under the 1) ZiSha Hong Ni 紫砂红泥 (more sandy and particulate than Zhu Ni) umbrella,
A) Yuan Kuang Da Hong Pao 原矿大红袍 is deep red (original ore is red)
B) Xiao Hong Ni 小红泥 is red (original ore is yellow)
Under the 2) Zhu Ni 朱泥 umbrella:
C) Xiao Mei Yao Zhu Ni 小煤窑朱泥 is known to be bright red (original ore is yellow)
D) Zhao Zhuang Zhu Ni 赵庄朱泥 more orangey (original ore is yellow)
E) “standard” Zhu Ni 本山朱泥 of a hue in between the above two (original ore is yellow
F) Zhu Ni Da Hong Pao 朱泥大红袍 to be a deep red (original ore is yellow)
NOTE IMPORTANTLY, THAT ALL THE ABOVE do STILL possess a CERTAIN DEGREE of orange hue, in VARYING degrees, e.g. Yuan Kuang Dao Hong Pao and Xiao Mei Yao Zhu Ni having the lesser degrees of orange, and Ben Shan Zhu Ni and Zhao Zhuang Zhu Ni having the higher degree of vermillion-orange.
Shi Hong Ni "rises above all the rest" by being the only one of the Hong Ni clays, that DOES NOT POSSESS ANY DEGREE OF VERMILLION-ORANGE-NESS.
Zero orange-ness nor a tad of yellow tint at all,
All RED:
It also is innately irregularly granular with a wide spectrum of heterogeneously-sized granulate particles that also fire red!
When you hold this in person, this Bian Chen is very striking, for it is outstandingly RED WITHOUT any orange-ness at all.
Its difference from all the other Hong Ni types above, is stark when you place it alongside all other Hong Ni pieces.
After much discussion within our Cao Family, from Cao Ya Lin, Cao An Xiang, Cao Yan Ping and Cao Lan Fang,
We have decided to open up our Cao Family's Shi Hong Ni for commission!
Commissionable: Senior Consummate Master Yuan Hui, Senior Master Cao Lan Fang, Consummate Master Li Yan Ru, Assoc Master Zhang Ke.
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5. Qing Duan 青段:
Qing Duan is extinct, whatever is left in very scarce quantities, and held ONLY by Huang Long Yuan company 黄龙源公司,
Here are us (Yi-Lei and ian) at the Huang Long Yuan company just recently:
Qing Duan is extinct and rare, ONLY Huang Long Yuan company has the clay, and Huang Long Yuan company has stopped selling it for the past decade.
Now, we want to present EXCITING, GOOD NEWS!
With our Cao Family as our backing, we have talked to Huang Long Yuan again, and they have agreed to let us old friends, to purchase one brick from them!
Please do not misjudge Huang Long Yuan company as money-minded, for it is not a matter of cost (cost is high definitely), the issue is whether they are willing to part with something so rare and close to their hearts.
Even though the boss of Huang Long Yuan company and us Cao Family, are on absolutely family-like terms, some things are too precious to let go. Huang Long Yuan company has been keeping Qing Duan very close to their hearts.
Our Cao Family totally understand their position.
We are absolutely thrilled, that they have agreed to let us purchase one brick from them! Therefore, this very narrow window of opportunity is FINALLY opened, and now we have one brick from them. Our Artists and Masters: Cao Lan Fang, Yuan Hui, Li Yan Ru and Zhang Ke stand ready to pick up the tools and work for you, should you commission any of them quickly this year.
(Limited to eight pieces this year)
This is a specimen of Qing Duan in the possession of one of our Chinese collectors:
(Limited to eight pieces this year)
Commissionable: Senior Consummate Master Yuan Hui, Senior Master Cao Lan Fang, Consummate Master Li Yan Ru, Assoc Master Zhang Ke.
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6. Ben Shan Lü Ni 本山绿泥:
Our Cao Family's stocks are running low, and we are good to help with a maximum of fifteen pieces this year.
https://www.realzisha.com/blogs/news/true-status-of-ben-shan-lu-ni-%E6%9C%AC%E5%B1%B1%E7%BB%BF%E6%B3%A5
https://www.realzisha.com/collections/cao-family-ben-shan-lu-ni-and-min-guo-lu-ni-open-for-ordering
This is a Yi Gong Ling Hua 逸公菱花 crafted by Assoc Master Zhang Ke 张轲,
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7. Min Guo Lü Ni 民国绿泥:
As we are also running low on Ben Shan Lü Ni, we will be limited to a maximum of ten pieces of Min Guo Lü Ni for this year.
Our Min Guo Lü Ni is true Min Guo Lü Ni:
Our Min Guo Lü Ni encompasses Cobalt with *BEN SHAN LÜ NI*,
and not Cobalt with other ZiSha types.
This is the section on Ben Shan Lu Ni with Min Guo Lu Ni:
https://www.realzisha.com/collections/cao-family-ben-shan-lu-ni-and-min-guo-lu-ni-open-for-ordering
This is a Jing Zhou Shi Piao crafted by Assoc Master Zhang Ke 张轲,
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8. 四号井底槽青 4th Quarry Di Cao Qing by Huang Long Yuan clay company
(National-Authenticated 4th Quarry Di Cao Qing):
This is the most famous Zi Ni type clay, the 4th Quarry Di Cao Qing.
This is the section on the 4th Quarry Di Cao Qing.
Huang Long Yuan company WILL NOT sell their 4th Quarry Di Cao Qing even if one walks in with lots of cash. Money is not their consideration. Huang Long Yuan has a duty to protect the EXTREMELY LIMITED STOCK, and uphold its reputation and name by not selling, even if anybody offers a lot of cash. The honest inner circle is never all about money. We have seen how the pursuit of false repute and monies in the past, damaged the Jing De Zhen Porcelain fraternity. The inner honest circle of YiXing ZiSha will NOT yield to the past mistakes. This is the last vein and we uphold it.
A person who walks in with 60,000rmb cash wanting to buy a 15kg brick of 4th Quarry Di Cao Qing, will be respectfully declined by Huang Long Yuan.
It takes ALL THREE conditions to procure this extremely esteemed clay:
1) An Artist/group of Artists belonging to the inner circle of honest Artists, through:
2) time tested connections and,
3) LONG-STANDING repute,
> to be able to procure it.
Dear Friends,
We, at RealZiSha are able to procure it from Huang Long Yuan's owner.
We at RealZiSha also do not pander to market hype and jump on bandwagons to offer pots of rare clays at exorbitant prices.
When it comes to rare clays which we do have,
We hold ourselves strictly to accomplish two things:
1) Protect Limited Stocks of Rare Clays,
2a) Do NOT prey on customers' desire for rare clays. There are many willing buyers of rare clays who call us daily in China and from our international friends and patrons, and who are willing to offer high prices. But we never once yielded to any notion of greed. We always take time to advise them about ZiSha Art, about the fraternity, the inner workings. We also advise them to focus on the Art of ZiSha, the skill involved in the pot: the ZiSha work's craftsmanship.
2b) All these years, we at the Cao Family and collaborative Artists we team up with, have been availing pots of rare clays only at affordable and reasonable prices, e.g. YuanKuang DaHongPao, BenShan LüNi (which Huang Long Yuan doesn't even want to sell now), and 4th Quarry Di Cao Qing.
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Our Artists would be able to craft a total maximum of fifteen pieces this year.
This is a San Zu Fang Da Bin 三足仿大彬, crafted with Huang Long Yuan company's National-Authenticated 4th Quarry Di Cao Qing, by Consummate Master Li Yan Ru 李艳如。
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* 乌泥 Wu Ni
Already unavailable.
https://www.realzisha.com/collections/the-prized-zisha-clays-in-the-zisha-fraternity-wu-ni-%E4%B9%8C%E6%B3%A5
* 豆青 Dou Qing
Pending Huang Long Yuan company's agreement for us to purchase from them.
https://www.realzisha.com/collections/the-prized-zisha-clays-in-the-zisha-fraternity-%E4%B9%8C%E6%B3%A5-dou-qing
* 原矿大红袍 Yuan Kuang Da Hong Pao:
Our Cao Family's vault of Yuan Kuang Da Hong Pao to be reopened once before the year of 2030.
https://www.realzisha.com/collections/the-prized-zisha-clays-in-the-zisha-fraternity-yuan-kuang-da-hong-pao-%E5%8E%9F%E7%9F%BF%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%A2%E8%A2%8D
This Yuan Kuang Da Hong Pao piece, the De Zhong shown, is crafted by Senior Master Cao Lan Fang 曹兰芳。
The last three times we had opened our Yuan Kuang Da Hong Pao for commissioning
was in 2014, 2021, and 2024 with a limit of ten commissions. All ten crafted by our aunt Senior Master Cao Lan Fang, have been completed for their owners.
We will reopen our Yuan Kuang Da Hong Pao vault for commissioning within these three years: one time before 2030, and at a timeline that all our Cao Family Masters: National Grand Master Cao Ya Lin, Provincial Grand Master Cao Yan Ping, Premier Master Cao An Xiang and Senior Master Cao Lan Fang agree with.
We are not just the holders of Yuan Kuang Da Hong Pao, Shi Hong Ni and other rare clays, we are a reputable family of top Artists to craft.
When you are with us at our showcase《镜塘社》come our next Hospitality Tour hosted on the 22nd to 25th May 2026, you would notice that our showcase address is:
《镜塘社》at 解放中路 103号,
江苏省, 宜兴市, 丁蜀镇。
《Jing Tang She》at Jie Fang Zhong Lu (Liberation Central Road), Unit 103, (Jiang Su Province, Yi Xing City, Ding Shu Town.)
丁蜀镇 Ding Shu Town is labelled as "China's Ceramic Capital 中国陶都!!!
~~>
解放中路 Jie Fang Zhong Lu (Liberation Central Road) is the MOST CENTRAL, and the Prime-est of the Prime Roads of Ding Shu Town
(The most prestigious hotel we engage to settle all of you friends is the Purple Clay Hotel is just a three minute walk from us.)
~~>
We, and our Cao Family's showcase at Unit 103号, is at the centre of Jie Fang Zhong Lu road!
Very humbly, happily and confidently,
We welcome you again dearest Friends to the Hospitality Tours we conduct for all of you!!! Let us bring you to savour the best YiXing dishes and cuisines too!
~ all of us Artists and Craftsmen, with our Cao Family at YiXing happily serving you this lifetime!
Our most recent tour serving our international friends, in October 2025 (Hospitality Tour and ZiSha Professional Crafting Class):
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